J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring was first published in 1954.
George Allen & Unwin released the first volume of The Lord of the Rings in London on 29 July 1954. It was followed by The Two Towers later that year and The Return of the King in 1955.
The book introduces the Ring’s history, Frodo’s mission, and the companions who form the Fellowship. Its narrative ends after the Fellowship breaks apart, rather than concluding the entire story in one volume.
Although the work is commonly called a trilogy, Tolkien conceived and wrote The Lord of the Rings as one continuous novel. Paper shortages and publishing considerations led to its release in three volumes. The Hobbit, published in 1937, is a related earlier novel, not the first volume of this trilogy.